Alexander Berkman (1870-1936), and Henry Frick (1849-1919), 23 July 1892

Berkman was born in Lithuania, emigrated to the US in 1888, and met Emma Goldman there. His first political action in the US was his attempt to murder steel tycoon Henry Frick. His anger was triggered by a bloody labor conflict at the Homestead Steelworks in Pennsylvania. Berkman proceeded in an extremely clumsy way. His first shot was not lethal, his second missed, and at the third try his revolver failed to go off. Frick survived and went back to work within one week, whereas Berkman spent 14 years in jail. In his cell, he noted 'To be sure, an Attentat on a Frick is in itself splendid propaganda. It combines the value of an example with terroristic effect ... It offers me a rare opportunity for a broader agitation of our ideas. The comrades outside will also use my act for propaganda. The People misunderstand us: they have been prejudiced by the capitalist press. They must be enlightened, that is our glorious task.'

Periodicals

The Altrurian. Columbus Junction, Iowa, 1895 - IISH callno. ZDK 6248
Der Anarchist : Anarchistisch-Communistisches Organ. New York 1889-1905 - IISH callno. ZF 6015
Der arme Teufel / Robert Reitzel. Detroit 1884-1890 - IISH callno. ZK 6972
Die Brandfackel. New York 1893-1894 - IISH callno. ZO 6254
Chicagoer Arbeiter-Zeitung. 1892 ff - IISH callno. ZF 6020 / Weekly edition IISH callno. ZF 6281 (Die Vorbote); Sunday edition IISH callno. ZF 6067 (Die Fackel)
El Despertar : periodico anarquista. New York 1891-1902 - IISH callno. Microfilm 5055-5056 + Microfiche 2605
The Firebrand. Portland, Oregon 1895-1897 - IISH callno. ZF 6075
Fraye Arbeyter Shtime. New York 1900 - IISH callno. ZF 6019
Freedom : a journal of anarchist socialism London 1886-1927 - IISH callno. ZF 6082 + Microfiche 1398
Freiheit : Socialdemokratisches Organ / ed.: Joh. Most, Max Baginski a.o. 1879-1910 - IISH callno. ZF 6084
Liberty : the pioneer organ of anarchism. Boston 1881-1908 - IISH callno. Microfilm 1110-1113
Il Grido degli Oppressi. New York 1892-1994 - IISH callno. Microfiche 1422
Liberty : the pioneer organ of anarchism. Boston/New York 1881-1908 - IISH callno. Microfilm 1110-1113
The Match. Boston 1896 - IISH callno. ZDK 6592
La Questione sociale : periodico socialista anarchic. Paterson, N.J. 1895-1908 - IISH callno. ZF 6145
The Rebel : monthly journal devoted to the exposition of anarchist communism. Boston 1895 - IISH callno. ZK 6170
Solidarity : a fortnightly review of the relations between different sections of the working community of the United States and an exponent of anarchist-socialism. New York 1892-1895 - IISH callno. ZF 6167
Volné Listy. New York 1890-1906 - IISH callno. ZK 22108

Archives

Alexander Berkman Papers
Senya Fléchine Papers
Emma Goldman Papers, see also sunsite.berkeley.edu/Goldman/Writings/
Rudolf Rocker Papers

References

Anarchist voices : an oral history of anarchism in America / Paul Avrich (Princeton, N.J 1995) - IISH callno. 1995/4031
The Bomb / Frank Harris (New York 1909) - IISH callno. DN 260/208
Made for America, 1890-1901 / Emma Goldman : a documentary history of the American years ; ed. Candace Falk ( Berkeley, Ca 2003) - IISH callno. 2005/3303
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist / Alexander Berkman (Pittsburgh 1970) - IISH callno. 74/164
Now and After / Alexander Berkman (New York 1929) - IISH callno. An 100/13